§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will create a new designation of historic tree to protect ancient and historic trees from destruction. [173943]
§ Keith HillI have been asked to reply.
The Government have no plans to amend environmental protection or planning legislation to create such a new designation. The on-going review of heritage protection is focusing on the reform of existing designations.
§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what strategies her Department(a) applies and (b) intends to apply for the protection of ancient and historic trees.[173944]
§ Keith HillI have been asked to reply.
Ancient and historic trees enjoy some measure of statutory protection under legislation relating to tree preservation orders, woodland protection, nature conservation and historic landscapes. Under the 220W quality rates were in (a) Portsmouth, (b) Southampton and (c) rural Hampshire in each of the last three years. [174194]
§ Mr. MorleyThe following table contains the annual mean concentrations of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and particles (PM10) at Portsmouth, Southampton, rural East Sussex and rural Oxfordshire. Defra does not monitor air quality in rural Hampshire. These data are available on the National Air Quality Information Archive on the internet (www.airquality.co.uk).
The table also shows the number of days of moderate air pollution or worse at the four sites. Pollution at each site on each day is defined according to the pollutant that is in the highest band during that day.
biodiversity strategy for England, incentives such as the Forestry Commission's Woodland Grant Scheme are being refined to encourage the restoration and sustainable management of ancient woodlands.